Fans of SOPHIE have launched a petition to have a planet named after the innovative avant-pop producer following her tragic death last weekend.
The petition, addressed to NASA, calls for the “circumbinary exoplanet” planet TOI 1338 b, discovered back in 2019 by NASA intern Wolf Cukier, to be named after SOPHIE to honour the artist, given its aesthetic resemblance to the artwork featured on 2018 debut album Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides.
“SOPHIE was a highly influential singer, songwriter, and producer who was a great inspiration to the LGBTQIA+ community. Her messages, actions, and music left an insurmountable impression on many LGBTQIA+ individuals. She always pushed a message of individuality and expressing your true self which resonated throughout everything she did,” reads the petition, launched by fan Christian Arroyo.
“I am requesting, at the discretion of the incredible scientists who discovered the planet, that TOI 1338 b be named in honor of the great LGBT+ influence, SOPHIE. Her fans would love to pay homage by having her name be remembered in this way and for her influence to continue to flourish for years to come.”
At time of writing, nearly 50,000 fans have signed the petition – you can add to that here.
SOPHIE died on Saturday, 30th January in Athens, Greece following an accidental fall from a balcony, prompting an outpouring of tributes from fans and fellow artists including Christine and the Queens, Vince Staples and more.
Yesterday, frequent collaborator Charli XCX shared a heartfelt tribute to SOPHIE, writing: “I will miss her terribly; her smile, her laugh, her dancing in the studio, her gentle inquisitive voice, her cutting personality, her ability to command a room without even trying, her incredible vision and mind. She taught me so much about myself without even realising.”
